The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 36]

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THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. 36

the person most interested, desisted from the execution of the brief. Other diocesans of the islands
who, notwithstanding the above-cited brief, have
tolerated and tolerate the exemption of the orders
for no other reason than the actual scarcity of secular
priests, have authorized that procedure. Therefore,
they practically admit that the indult of St. Pius
remains in force, and that the mandate of Clement
XI is impossible whenever the religious abandon the
curacies.
727. Besides, the same fact that the said metropolitan did not put into execution the above-cited
brief of Clement XI as its nature and authority demanded, gave one to understand either that it was
notoriously surreptitious, or especially grievous and
productive of some scandal, or of irreparable injury
to the Catholic religion; for only through such motives can the mandates of the pope be suspended. If
the first be correct, it is an implied or virtual declaration that the said order is null and void; therefore,
the regulars can legally proceed with the administration of the missions without subjecting themselves
to the ordinaries, making use of their former privileges. If the second or third-his illustrious Lordship having offered in that same act in which he provided for the suspension of the brief, to inform the
pope of the predominant reasons that determined
him to supersede the said brief - in the meantime,
until the said information shall reach him, and
the effect that is produced by it on his Holiness's
mind shall be made known to the religious, the
fact that they avail themselves of their privileges
in the administration of the parishes cannot be imputed to them as guilt. The reason for that is, that